Outreach Ministries

Parish Outreach & Service

  • Elizabeth Ministry follows the scriptural story of the Visitation as we encourage, educate, and equip those seeking to reclaim God's plan for relationships, sexuality, and childbearing. 

    Our Elizabeth Ministry chapter is a parish-based effort to support women and their families during the joys, challenges, and sorrows of the childbearing years. Volunteers offer maternal mentoring in the areas they have experienced. For example, an older woman, who has given birth and raised a family would visit a woman who is pregnant for the first time.  She shares prayer, practical help, her lived experiences, and resources. 

    Interested? Contact Mary Stieren | stierenm@gmail.com. 

  • Funeral meals are prepared and served by The Guild. See our Parish Groups & Committees page for more.

    Interested? Contact Anne Thomsen | a.thomasen@centurylink.net.

  • St. Wenceslaus offers a 12 week program called “Grief Share” for those who have lost a loved one. Sharing with those who have gone through similar circumstances can be very helpful, healing and comforting. Sessions are in-person, prayerful, and informative guided lessons in a group format.

    The current “Grief Share” program is held on Tuesday nights from 6:00 - 7:30 PM starting on September 10th.

    Interested? Contact Brian Corey, Director of Pastoral Ministry | coreyb@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 697-7514.

  • Meals are prepared and delivered to a parish family as a means of support during a crisis situation.  Families or friends may contact the Pastoral Ministry office for more information.

    Interested? Contact Brian Corey, Director of Pastoral Ministry | coreyb@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 697-7514.

  • Visit the homebound, hospitalized, or elderly of our parish to provide companionship and support.

    Interested? Contact Brian Corey, Director of Pastoral Ministry | coreyb@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 697-7514.

  • The health and safety of St. Wenceslaus community members is very important. One of the many things that can threaten health and safety is a Public Health Emergency such as a flu epidemic, contaminated water supply or an anthrax terroristic threat.  You can be confident that we have a plan in place to limit the impact of public health emergencies on our parishioners, students, teachers and their families.  Our goal is to protect the health of all during such an event.

     Members of the St. Wenceslaus Volunteer Nurse Ministry, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Primetimers, Support Staff and the Director of Pastoral Ministry have been working with The Douglas County Health Department to create a plan to serve as a closed point of dispensing, or Closed POD, in the event of a formal emergency declaration by the governor.  Closed PODs are located on the organization’s property and will be operated by the Parish.  Trained volunteers will hand out water or medication (free) to parish and school families to keep you and family from getting sick.  Participation in the program involves pre-planning, training and coordination with local health departments.

    Questions or interested in helping? Contact Brian Corey, Director of Pastoral Ministry | coreyb@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 697-7514 or Command Team Leaders | Joan Mack and Mary Dobleman | parishnurse@stwenceslaus.org.

    Information & Forms:

  • Create shawls and other textiles for parishioners experiencing a difficult time in their life such as illness or the loss of a loved one. The process includes prayers for the recipient, elevating this ministry to a true spiritual work of mercy.

    Interested? Contact Beth Riege | bethriege@outlook.com.

  • Divorce can cause much heartache for those involved; join The Road Ahead for support through it.

    Interested? Contact Machelle Krajewski | msk2@cox.net.

  • Walking with Moms in Need is a nationwide, parish-based initiative to increase support for pregnant and parenting mothers in need. It works to ensure that any woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, or parenting in difficult circumstances, can turn to her local Catholic Church and be connected with the resources she needs. Volunteers walk with moms throughout the motherhood journey, offering them authentic Christian friendship and ongoing support.

    Learn more about the services provided by Walking with Moms in Need through the Archdiocesan Website.

Health & Healing

  • The Lakeside EMHC Ministry allows those Catholics in the hospital at Lakeside to receive Communion each day they are a patient. Receiving Communion can give the comfort that the sick need as they face a difficult or scary situation. Having a friendly face from St. Wenceslaus stop by to bring Communion and visit and pray with patients can be just what they need. Often, we hear how grateful the sick are to receive Jesus and be touched by the kindness of the ministers.

    Interested? Contact Brian Corey, Director of Pastoral Ministry | coreyb@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 697-7514.

  • Tai Chi, a gentle exercise that helps seniors improve balance and prevent falls. It consists of making slow, graceful movements while breathing deeply. Group meets weekly.

    Interested? Contact Joan Mack, Group Leader | parishnurse@stwenceslaus.org or Brian Corey, Director of Pastoral Ministry | coreyb@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 697-7514.

  • Volunteers who have taken a Faith Community Nursing or Health Ministry course coordinate other volunteers to meet our goals. We integrate the practice of faith with the practice of nursing so people can achieve wholeness through the faith community.

    Parish Nurses focus on health promotion and education (e.g. Tai Chi, educational programs) and health counseling (e.g. blood pressure screening).  We educate and motivate people to take positive action regarding wellness, prevention, and appropriate treatment of illness. Volunteer Nurse Ministry members strive to promote healthy lifestyles for all ages, advocate for excellent care of the sick, and encourage healthcare justice. Rather than practicing from a medical model, Parish nurses recognize spiritual health is at the core of a person’s well-being and offer a sense of hope for individuals with a disease, being aware that healing can happen without cure. 

    Interested or ideas to share? Contact Joan Mack | parishnurse@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 330-3090.

Community Outreach & Service

  • Each charity is selected by St. Wenceslaus annually. All donations benefit the charity directly.

    Visit our Charity of the Month page for more information.

  • Parishioners have the opportunity to donate non perishable grocery items on the first Sunday of each month for the St. Vincent de Paul Pantry. These items are collected in the foyer and volunteers from the parish deliver the items to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry downtown.  These items will be sorted and then needy families have the opportunity on Tuesdays and Thursdays to come shop for food to feed their families.

    Interested in deilvering food to the Pantry? Contact Brian Corey, Director of Pastoral Ministry | coreyb@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 697-7514.

    Want to help at the Pantry?
    The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is located on 21st & Leavenworth and serves about 25,000 people a year. It’s a "client choice" pantry which means the people shop for their groceries just as one would in a grocery store. It takes a lot of work and a lot of groceries to stock and keep the Pantry running smoothly. There are over 50 people who volunteer their time each week to make this happen.

    Are you looking for something to do on Tuesday or Thursday mornings? There are a variety of volunteer options at the Pantry, from assisting clients while they shop for food, to sorting food deliveries and stocking shelves. We also started a garden next to the store to grow produce. If you have a green thumb, feel free to help us out! Volunteers are the backbone of the Food Pantry.

    To help, contact Kara Walters | kkaawalters@cox.net | (402) 493-2499.

  • The Pro-Life Committee is part of the Archdiocesan and Nebraska Bishop’s Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities. We focus on pro-life issues. 

    Mission Statement: Every human person has received the precious gift of life from God. The Pro-Life Committee works to teach respect for all human life from conception to natural death and nurture life at every stage.

    Goals

    • To increase awareness of pro-life activities for parish members by making pro-life items, literature and news available on a regular basis

    • To implement and promote pro-life activities during the year

    • To increase parishioner involvement in pro-life activities

    Interested? Contact Bill Duerr, Group Leader | (402) 697-7514.

  • The SVdP Society is a lay Catholic organization that responds to the needy throughout the world.  At St. Wenceslaus, we have a conference that responds to people who call our parish and those individuals in our community who are in desperate need for assistance. SVdP provides assistance to the elderly and disabled by offering mentoring and financial assistance to people in the form of food, rent, utilities, and other necessities.

    What We Do:

    • Home Visits: When the church receives phone calls from people in need of help with rent, utilities, food assistance, and other needs, we make personal contact with them, usually meeting them in their home.

    • Pantry Sundays: First Sunday of every month, food is collected for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry | 2101 Leavenworth St | Tuesday & Thursday | 9:00 AM -12:30 PM

    • Caring for Others: Volunteers provide transportation, odd jobs, companionship, and other assistance to the elderly, handicapped and homebound in our parish area

    • Poor Box Collections: Money collected goes to our SVdP conference to help the needy who call for assistance.

    • Twinning: We contirbute financially to the other St. Vincent de Paul Conferences when they have a client with a large need.

    • Clothing & Household Goods Drives: St. Wenceslaus has two clothing drives:  Spring and Fall.  You can drop off gently used items at the truck in our parking lot.  The SVdP stores then give away or sell clothing, as needed, including winter coats.

    Our funds come from December’s Charity of the Month donations. A special collection envelope is also included in the annual tithing envelope boxes for the month of April and September.

    Want to help or serve? Contact Gene Walker | ewalkerjr6@yahoo.com | (402) 933-0017 or Rose Berkey | berkeyr1945@gmail.com | (402) 699-9073.

Questions? Contact Brian Corey, Director of Pastoral Ministry | coreyb@stwenceslaus.org | (402) 697-7514.